Clothes swapping: ‘I haven’t bought any new clothes for years’

“I think this is the busiest January we have ever seen, it’s been lovely to see so many new faces,” Jenna said.

“The idea of clothes swap is to encourage people to swap not shop.

“It is important to us that people, who perhaps wouldn’t buy second-hand and wouldn’t consider going in a charity shop, are now coming here every month and have been able to learn about sustainability and how we can have an impact on the environment.”

Tiphaine is a swisher who has been coming to the swap almost since the beginning, where she has picked up outfits for her everyday wardrobe and special events.

“I haven’t bought any new clothes for years now,” she said.

“The clothes I’m wearing now are either from clothes swaps or charity shops.”

She cycles to Acomb from her home in Clifton Moor, as being sustainable is her main aim.

“There’s way too many clothes and it’s about not wearing something that someone else already has,” Tiphaine added.

“If you go in some of the shops, everyone is wearing the same clothes. Here you find more vintage clothes and some very old clothes that you can upcycle and decorate.”